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UNITED STATES PATENT Oriana JOHN T. RICHARDSON, OF HARRISBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, AND AARON RAPP, OF HOLLAND, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS OFONE-THIRD TO ALEXANDER H. EGE, OF MEGHANIOSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLING-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,990, dated June 5,1888.

Application filed December 16, 1887. Serial No. 258,099. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, JOHN T. RICHARDSON andAARON RAPP, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Harrisburg, Dauphin county,Pennsylvania,and Holland,Hunterdon county, New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and usefullmprovements in Rolling-Mills, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to rolling-mills intended for rolling taperingarticles; and it consists in forming the reducing-face of one or both ofa pair of rolls with a series of grooves or ribs, or both combined,arranged eccentric ally relative to the axis of their roll; and ourinvention relates more particularly to rolls adapted to form thepoint-railsof splitrailwayswitches, the object being, when such articlesare being produced, to impart to the bar of metal being reduced thepeculiar taper required by such rails, while at the same time preservinga uniform or substantially uniform width and size throughout to theouter bottom flange of the rail, as is usual; and to this end a pair ofreducing-rolls is provided with pe-" ripheral grooves and ribs arrangedas will be hereinafter described, certain of the grooves and ribs beingeccentric relative to the axes of their respective rolls and so relatedto each other that the space between them shall be gradually contractedas the rolls revolve, while the grooves which roll the outer flange ofthe rail are concentric with the axis of its roll and of uniform depththroughout.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pair of rollsembodying our invention in the position of the least separation betweentheir reducing-faces. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the rolls inthe position of the greatest separation between their reducing-faces.Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4is a similar section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1.

A A represent suitable standards, in which arejournaled in any approvedmanner a pair of rolls, B O, the upper roll, B, being held intooperative position in respect to the lower one,

The rolls are suitably geared together, so as to be driven in unison,for which purpose any well-known or preferred mechanism may be employedwhich may be quickly stopped and started and easily reversed. The tworolls are provided with a series of reducing-faces separated bycomparatively narrow ridges or surfaces b c, which are opposed to eachother and which may, if desired, roll in contact. The reducingrollingfaces are given the proper configuration to effect the reductionrequired by means of grooves and ribs, the grooves in the upper rollbeing lettered b b and the rib b while Opposed to these, respectively,are the grooves c c and the rib 0 formed in the lower roll.

With the exception of grooves c, all reducing portions of therolling-faces on the respective rolls are eccentric to their axes ofrotation. The portions of greatest eccentricity of all thereducing-surfaces on one roll are preferably in the same longitudinalline parallel with the axis of the roll, as also are the portions ofleast eccentricity preferably on another line, also parallel with theaxis of the rollthat is, the eccentric portions of the redueing'faces bypreference all spring from the same line and all end on anotherline-while the two rolls are so geared together that the portions ofgreatest eccentricity and least eccentricity on the two rolls shall beopposed to each other as they revolve.

While the grooves b b and the ribs 6 on roll B, (and also the grooves cand ribs con roll 0,)

tween each pair of ridges b c progressively in the direction of thelength of the rolls, so that the rail is gradually reduced as it passessuccessively between the different rolling-faces, as is common in thisclass of machines.

The

grooves c, on the other hand, are concentric with the axis of their rolland are all of uniform circumferential size and depth, so that thatportion of the rail engaged thereby, which is the outer lowerrailflange, is not reduced or caused to taper, as are the other portionsof the rail.

The shoulders or edges of the eccentric grooves and ribs are rounded orbeveled in order to better effect the reduction of the rail and givethereto the required taper both of head, web, and flanges, the former(the head of the rail) being given a regular elongated taper solely bythe grooves b and 0 while the inner flange is upset and doubled backlaterally upon the web of the rail during the process of rolling by thegroove b, and the web is tapered by the ribs 1) and c".

The circumferential size of the rolls will be varied to suit the lengthof taper of rail to be rolled, and may be such that a completerevolution of the rolls will be required to pass the tapered portion ofthe rail entirely through between them. We prefer, however, that thesize of the rolls shall be such that a semi-revolution thereof shallgive the proper reduction to the rail, and such is the construction wehave illustrated.

The degree of acuteness of the taper given to the rail will bedetermined by the required length of lead in any designated case, andthe degree of eccentricity of the reducing-faces will be accordinglychanged.

As the rolls should stop in such relation to each other as that theirbearing-faces shall all be most widely separated, the necessityv ofquickly and easily operating stopping and starting mechanism, whichpreferably should be automatic, will be apparent. When the rolls aregiven but a semirevolution to effect the reduction of the rail, apositively and quickly-acting reversing mechanism must be employedas.for instance, the ordinary linkmotionwhich may be automatically operatedby a steam, pneumatic, or hydraulic piston.

Since the rail'points or tapering rails produced by a machine embodyingour invention should taper in one direction when used in certainpositions and in the opposite direction for other positions, it isnecessary that the rolls should be arranged so that the rails may bepassed between them from either side.

The blank rails intended to be produced by the rolls described are firstgiven the ordinary T- form by any suitable style of machinery and outinto the proper lengths. They are then passed successively between theseries of rolling reducingfaces while lying horizon tally on theirsides, the rolls starting each time from the positions of greatestseparation between the rolling-faces.

It will be apparent that our invention admits of more or less variationfrom the construction which we have chosen as a means of illustratingthe same in the drawings. For instance, the rolls may each be providedwith but a single rolling-face, a series of rolls being employed, iffound necessary, instead of a pair with a series of reducing-faces. Itis also evident thatour invention is not limited to the particular usefor which we have described and shown it, as other articles having atapering form might be formed thereby, in which event it might benecessary to vary the number and relation of the ribs and grooves. Itmay be also suggested that our invention may be embodied in connectionwith rolls neither of which is provided with a concentric groove; or ifsuch concentric groove be employed, a construction in which they, whileremaining concentric with the axis of the roll, yet vary in size ordiameter; or the roll may be arranged with its rolling ribs and groovesconcentric throughout one halfor other part ofthe circumference andarranged throughout the remainder of the circumference to give atapering form to the rail, so that part of the rail shall maintain theordinary T form,while the remainder shall taper.

We claim- 1. In a rolling-mill, the combination, with a roll, of anopposing reducing-roll, B, provided with a reducing-face havingeccentrically-arranged grooves and eccentrically-arranged ribs,substantially as described.

2. In a rolling-mill, the combinat1on,w1th a roll, of an opposingreducing-roll, B, provided with a reducing-face having eccentrically-arranged grooves and eccentrically-arranged ribs, the degree ofeccentricity ot the grooves and of the ribs varying, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a rolling-mill, the combination, with a roll, 0, of an opposingreducing-roll, B, provided with a reducing-face having grooves and ribsboth eccentrically arranged relatively to the axis of the roll, theleast eccentricity and the greatest eccentricity of all of such groovesand ribs coinciding on the same lines parallel with the axis of theroll, substantially as described.

4. In a rolling-mill, the combination of the roll B, provided with arolling-face having one or more grooves and ribs eccentrically ar rangedrelatively to the axis of the roll, the lines of least and greatesteccentricity coinciding, and the roll 0, having a rolling-face opposedto the rolling-face on roll B, and provided with grooves and ribsopposed to the grooves and ribs on rolls B, and arranged eccentricallyto the axis of their roll, the lines of least and greatest eccentricitycoinciding, the two rolls being geared together to bring the lines ofleast and greatest eccentricity of the ribs and grooves on theirrespective rolls opposite each other as the rolls are revolved,substantially as set forth.

5. In a rolling-mill, the combination,with a while the degree ofeccentricity varies, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a rolling-milLthe combination of the roll 13, provided with arolling-face having one 01' more eccentrically-arranged grooves andribs, and a roll, 0, having oneor more eccentrically-arranged groovesand ribs opposed to the eccentrically-arranged grooves and ribs on theroll B, and having a groove concentric with the axis of said roll,substantially as set forth.

7. In a rolling-mill adapted to form tapering rails forrailway-switches, the combination of the roll B, provided with arolling-face having the eccentrically-arranged grooves b and rib 12between said grooves, the greatest eccentricity of said grooves and ribscoinciding on a line parallel with the axis of the roll, and the roll 0,having a rolling-face opposed to the rolling-face of roll B, andprovided with the eccentrically-arranged groove 0 and rib b, and theconcentrically-arranged groove a, substantially as described. I

8. In a rollingmill adapted to form tapering rails forrailway-switchcs,the combination of the roll B, provided with a seriesof rollingfaces having eccentric grooves b b and ribs b the diameter anddegree of eccentricity of said grooves and ribs varying progressivelywith each of the series of rolling-faces in the direction of the lengthof the roll, and the roll 0, having a series of reducing-faces opposedto those on the roll B, and, having the eccentric grooves c and ribs 0and the concentric grooves c, the diameter and degree of eccentricity ofribs and grooves c a varying progressively in the direction of thelength of the rolls,\vhile the diameter or depth of groove 0 remainsuniform, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. RICHARDSON. AARON RAPP.

Witnesses:

F. H. HOFFER, O. S. THUMMA.

